Accattone (1961)

A pimp with no other means to provide for himself finds his life spiraling out of control when his prostitute is sent to prison.

Director:

Pier Paolo Pasolini

Writers:

Pier Paolo Pasolini (story), Pier Paolo Pasolini (screenplay),

Stars:

Franco Citti, Franca Pasut, Silvana Corsini

Nominated for 1 BAFTA Film Award. Another 2 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Franco Citti	...	Vittorio "Accattone" Cataldi
Franca Pasut	...	Stella
Silvana Corsini	...	Maddalena
Paola Guidi	...	Ascenza
Adriana Asti	...	Amore
Luciano Conti	...	Il Moicano
Luciano Gonini	...	Piede D'Oro
Renato Capogna	...	Renato
Alfredo Leggi	...	Papo Hirmedo
Galeazzo Riccardi	...	Cipolla
Leonardo Muraglia	...	Mammoletto
Giuseppe Ristagno	...	Peppe
Roberto Giovannoni	...	The German
Mario Cipriani	...	Balilla
Roberto Scaringella	...	Cartagine

Storyline

Pasolini's first film is a painfully realistic study of a pimp in Rome. Vittorio Accattone has never worked a day in his life, and has apparently made a good living prostituting his female companion, Maddalena. But her arrest begins his decline; hungry, he begs from churches and even visits his estranged wife and son. When Stella, a lovely and unbelievably innocent peasant worker, enters his life, Accattone tries to find a way, honest or not, to bring back good fortune...

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Plot Keywords:

pimp | prostitute | perjury | prison | arrest | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian

Release Date:

4 April 1968 (USA)

Also Known As:

Accattone!

Filming Locations:

Pigneto, Rome, Lazio, Italy

Box Office

Budget:

ITL 50 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Arco Film, Cino del Duca

Technical Specs

Runtime:

120 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The Rome premiere of Accatone was accosted by the neo-fascist group Nuova-Europa, causing mayhem by violently attacking the audience and vandalising the cinema.

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Quotes

Stella: I want to make a speech.
Vittorio "Accattone" Cataldi: Mussolini made speeches.
Stella: This is serious, I want you to know everything about me.

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Connections

Referenced in Come si fa a non amare Pier Paolo Pasolini - Appunti per un film sull'immondezza (2005)

User Reviews

cinema of tragic poetry

Accattone is a relentless study of the suffering that accompanies poverty. Pasolini utilises the well worn techniques of the Italian neo-realist moment to represent the depressing and oppressive life of a pimp - Accattone (played by the astonishing Franco Citti) - in the slums of post-war Rome. His life is beleaguered by guilt and self-disgust; his occupation, which is ostensibly the exploitation of women, causes the titular character untold despair. Ultimately he is unable to rationalise his need to eat with the suffering he causes to the women who work for him; they are, after all, also his lovers. Yet, Pasolini is careful to maintain the humanity of his protagonist by representing his hopeless situation as equally a result of his own doings as that of the social environment. Pasolini's Accattone is a masterful debut which expertly calls into service the devices of the cinema to convey a depressing but also compassionate narrative. His style is equal parts poetry and melodrama; a tough combo for any director. Some moments of this film are as tragically lyrical as those to be found in a film by Robert Bresson or Roberto Rossellini. Accattone is a commendable combination of style and substance which will leave few viewers unaffected.